‘I just need someone to talk to,’ Channing said. ‘I know I was a bit full on after what happened between us. But … I’ve never felt this way about a person before. I suppose I was overwhelmed with my emotions. I know I was a bit … crazy.’

  ‘A bit?’

  The resentment inside Teal drained a little. Maybe it was because there was now some distance between them she could forget how bad things had become.

  ‘Teal?’ Channing asked. ‘Are you still there?’

  ‘I’m still here,’ Teal replied, after a moment.

  Her breathing was slow and tired on the other end. Teal could tell that Channing was looking for something from her, she just didn’t know what.

  ‘Did you ever feel something for me, Teal?’ Channing’s voice trembled, as though she were scared of the answer.

  Teal came to a stop and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to have this conversation. Not again. It had been done to death. She just wanted to move on. Put the past between them where it deserved to be—in the past.

  ‘I’m hanging up. Don’t call me again otherwise I’m going to change my number.’

  She didn’t wait for Channing to answer. Teal cut the line and continued her solitary study of the trees, the hills and the newfound perspective that was slowly beginning to take shape in her mind.

  Chapter Eleven

  Carissa had spent most of the previous night trying to figure out why Teal had rejected her. It wasn’t as if Carissa had made the first move. All she had done was welcome Teal’s kiss with great zeal. With a jolt, Carissa realised Teal might have just been taking pity on her. She chided herself. Hadn’t she sworn that she was going to keep her business to herself? She had no right to dump her emotional baggage on Teal. After all, Teal was her boss, not her therapist. Nor was she her friend and the sooner Carissa got that into her thick skull the easier things would be for her.

  Carissa poured hot water over the coffee granules in her mug. She needed as much caffeine as her body would tolerate as she’d barely had any sleep.

  Just as she was about to add a teaspoonful of sugar to her mug, the kitchen door opened and Nicole swaggered in as if she owned the place.

  ‘Is Teal back yet?’

  ‘Nope.’ Carissa took a quick sip of her coffee, relishing the jolt of energy it supplied.

  ‘Do you know where she’s gone?’

  Yes, I do. As far away from me as possible. If Carissa didn’t know better, she’d have started to think there was something seriously wrong with her by the way women seemed to want her one minute and run the next. ‘No idea. Is there a problem?’

  ‘Not really. I just want to take a look at Teal’s room to get an idea of what needs to be done.’

  ‘Oh,’ Carissa said hoping her facial expression wasn’t revealing her own desperate need to find out where Teal had gone. Earlier, as Teal had started to make her way along the public footpath, Carissa had been tempted to run after her. To confront her about the elusive kiss. But seeing the way Teal’s shoulders were slumped and how her head hung downwards, Carissa acknowledged that she just wanted to be alone.

  ‘Teal said I could go on up whenever I wanted,’ Nicole said. ‘But I don’t feel comfortable not having someone else present.’

  Nicole, Carissa concluded, was not the sort of woman who hid her intentions well. The sheepish grin on her face said it all. She wanted Carissa to accompany her upstairs. Carissa just hoped that was all she wanted and there wasn’t an ulterior motive.

  ‘Well … if that’s what she said I’ll come with you.’

  Nicole rubbed her hands together. ‘You’re a star.’

  Carissa ignored Nicole’s wink and the quick flash of her teeth as she put down her coffee. She also ignored Nicole’s hand on the small of her back as they left the kitchen and went upstairs to Teal’s bedroom. Carissa was aware the room was only Teal’s temporary abode, probably devoid of anything personal or intimate, but entering it still made her feel like an unwanted intruder.

  Nicole walked into the room without hesitation and Carissa reluctantly followed. The room was slightly bigger than hers but there was less space because of the bulky furniture. A heavy oak desk sat adjacent to the bed, on top of which sat a large sketchpad and an assortment of papers stuck out of a leather folder.

  ‘Crap,’ Nicole said, smacking her head with the palm of her hand. ‘I forgot something. Stay here, I’ll be right back.’

  Nicole hurried out of the room, leaving Carissa standing alone. Carissa ran her fingers across her lips and they tingled expectantly when she glanced down at the unmade double bed. She couldn’t help but recall the moment when Teal had leant in and kissed her. It had come as a surprise. Straight out of nowhere. Yet somehow there had been a perfect symmetry to the moment, as though their kiss had been destined to happen ever since their first meeting.

  A tremendous ache pulsed through her body at the thought of Teal’s tongue urgently seeking her own. What could have been possibly seconds, seemed like an eternity. Both women locked in a time that had held infinite possibilities. Until Teal had pulled away abruptly that is, and the spell had been broken.

  Carissa remembered the tortured look in Teal’s eyes as she gazed at her. ‘I’m sorry,’ Teal had said. ‘That shouldn’t have happened. It was a mistake.’

  Teal had fled from the car without another word. She ran into the house, leaving Carissa to remain where she was; her mind in a fog, questioning whether she had simply imagined the moment or if it had actually just happened.

  Carissa had hoped for some sort of resolution that morning but Teal had simply looked right through her. She wondered if Teal wanted to pretend the kiss had never happened at all. Carissa could go along with her wish, but the question was, did Carissa really want to?

  That kiss had ignited something deep inside her soul and now that it had been lit, there was no turning back.

  Without thinking, Carissa walked over to the desk. She ran her finger up and down the spine of the folder before flipping it open. A pretty little drawing of thatched roofs and smoking chimneys greeted her. It was a quaint image of a village.

  Carissa lifted the first piece of paper and her arm froze midway as her eyes landed on the second drawing in the file. The image of a woman stared back at her. The woman’s eyes were big, bright and beautiful. Her hair was delicate as it draped smoothly over one shoulder. Her lips were parted slightly, as though she were in the middle of a story. This drawing was remarkable. It wasn’t just about the care that had gone into the details of the drawing; it was about the essence that those details captured.

  The woman’s eyes were filled with nostalgia, with memory and with loss. Carissa remembered the moment exactly because she had lived it. She was staring down at a drawing of herself.

  Footsteps in the corridor snapped her out of her reverie and Carissa placed the drawing back in the folder. She stepped away from the desk at the exact moment Nicole walked into the room.

  ‘I’ve got a confession to make. I brought you up here under false pretences.’

  Carissa frowned. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I thought we could talk without being interrupted. There’s too much banging going on downstairs.’ Nicole moved towards her and when Carissa took a step back she said, ‘There’s no need to be afraid.’

  ‘I’m not afraid,’ Carissa said straightening her shoulders.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes, really.’

  ‘That’s not what your body language is saying.’

  Carissa shrugged and started towards the door. ‘Believe what you want.’

  ‘Hey,’ Nicole said, blocking her way and holding the roll of paper she held in her hand up in the air. ‘Please just hear me out. It’s something that will benefit you.’

  Carissa placed her hands on her hips. ‘Okay, I’m listening.’

  ‘Have you ever wondered how some people get rich while others always seem in a rut?’

  ‘Are you trying to get me to sign up to one of those get rich quick schemes?’

  ‘What? No, of course not. What I’m offering you isn’t some pie in the sky dream. It’s money guaranteed. You interested?’

  Carissa nodded slowly.

  ‘Good. I thought you might be. I could tell as soon as I laid eyes on you that you’d be on the ball.’ Nicole unrolled the sheet of paper, laid it out on Teal’s bed and tapped the tip of her finger on the sketch. ‘Right, I have one two-bed apartment left. It’s on prime land—’

  Carissa leant over the bed and peered down at the technical drawing. ‘Are you talking about buying off plan?’

  ‘Ah, so you know about them. Good. Look, you’ve seen the quality of our work and how quickly it gets done. I can guarantee a thirty percent return within six months.’

  Carissa had heard of these types of schemes before. Trudi had bought a two-bedroom apartment off plan in South London. Once the apartments were built she had quickly sold hers and walked away with a twenty grand profit. The thought of making that much cash sent her dizzy. ‘How much of an investment are we talking?’

  ‘I’m selling them for three hundred and fifty thousand. But I’ll sell you one for three hundred thousand, so you’ll just need to give me a thirty grand deposit.’

  Carissa’s dream came crashing down. When Nicole saw her face drop she quickly said, ‘I know that seems a lot, but how about twenty-five? These apartments are going to sell like hot cakes when they’re finished. I’m only letting you in on this because I like you.’

  Did Nicole take her for a complete idiot? Why the secrecy? Was she just desperate to sell? What was in it for her? The only conclusion Carissa could come up with was the need for a quick cash injection to complete the build. Carissa thought for a few seconds and started warming to the idea. Did it really matter if Nicole wasn’t being totally honest? ‘Have you offered the same deal to Teal?’

  ‘No. she doesn’t need any more money. You though, look like you need a helping hand.’

  Was that the real reason or had Teal flat out said no? Nicole was right in one way; Teal obviously didn’t need the extra money. ‘I’d love to invest, Nic, but I haven’t got that sort of money. And then there’s the issue of getting a mortgage.’

  Nicole rubbed her hand over her head. ‘I’m sure you know someone who has some spare cash and I know a great mortgage broker who can fix you up with something. Imagine what you could do with your returns. You could rent yourself a swanky office or buy into the next new build I do. The opportunities are limitless.’

  Carissa didn’t need to be sold on the idea, she was all up for it but could she really ask her mum to loan her that amount of money, even for a short period of time? More to the point, would she even consider giving it to her? In the end, Carissa decided she really didn’t have anything to lose by asking. ‘Let me see what I can do.’

  ‘Okay, but you’ll have to be quick,’ Nicole said, rolling her drawing back up.

  ‘Quick about what?’ Teal said from where she stood in the open doorway.

  Carissa had not seen her and neither had Nicole by the shocked look on her face.

  ‘Nothing. We’re just talking,’ Nicole said. She turned back to Carissa and mouthed, ‘This is just between me and you.’

  ‘It didn’t sound like nothing,’ Teal said.

  ‘We were just talking about what we are going to do up here,’ Carissa said. She would talk to her about the investment, if or when their working relationship had regained some normalcy.

  ‘Right, I need to go and pick some parts up from the builder’s yard for tomorrow. I’m taking my guys with me. We’ve got a small job to finish elsewhere,’ Nicole said making a quick exit. Moments later the front door slammed shut.

  ‘I’m going to see how the colours look,’ Carissa said briskly as she brushed past Teal and made her way downstairs to the hallway. The look on Teal’s face told her she still wasn’t going to address the issue of their kiss and Carissa wasn’t about to push it. Using the edge of a knife, Carissa flipped open several tester paints and dipped a paint brush into one. With one stroke she applied the first colour to the wall. As she tested each new colour, she no longer thought about Nicole’s business proposal, nor which colours looked the best. All Carissa could think about now was the sketch she had seen in Teal’s room.

  Was the image even of her? Yes, she was convinced it was. So what now? Should she mention it to Teal? She shot that idea down. They couldn’t even discuss a kiss let alone something as close to Teal’s heart as her art.

  ‘Nicole wasn’t harassing you, was she?’ Teal descended the stairs and stopped a few feet behind her.

  Carissa pretended to be studying the colours, tilting her head from side to side and making little noises as she did so. ‘No, and even if she was, I told you I can look after myself when it comes to her.’

  ‘I was just checking.’

  ‘To be honest, I think we’ve got more important things to talk about,’ Carissa blurted out before she could stop herself. Enough was enough. The less that was said the worse things became. This she knew from personal experience. Carissa readied herself as she slowly turned around to face Teal, who stood as still as a statue. The expression on her face cool and unaffected but Carissa noticed the slight twitch in the corner of her lips.

  ‘Okay,’ Teal said cautiously. ‘What do you want to talk about?’

  ‘How about we start with the kiss,’ Carissa said despite feeling vulnerable and self-conscious. Despite not wanting Teal to outright reject her. Despite everything, she just wanted to know what the hell was going on. The kiss. The drawing. The flirtatious looks. Everything. Instead of throwing them all at Teal at once, she would start at the top and work her way down. ‘You kissed me.’

  ‘Yes, I did,’ Teal admitted matter-of-factly.

  ‘And then you ran away.’

  Teal’s cheeks coloured and she nodded.

  Carissa paused for a moment unsure whether or not she should continue. Teal appeared uncomfortable but Carissa decided to carry on. ‘And … and … this morning you barely looked at me.’

  ‘That wasn’t intentional.’

  ‘All the same. I just want you to know that I’m happy to forget about the whole thing,’ Carissa said, wondering where she was going with all this. ‘I’m happy to put it behind us and act like nothing ever happened. But first I think we should acknowledge that it did actually happen.’

  Teal raised her eyebrows. ‘You’re prepared to forget that I kissed you?’

  ‘I … yes… yes, I am,’ Carissa said, hoping that she sounded convincing.

  ‘That’s going to be a problem.’

  ‘Why?’ Carissa asked in confusion.

  ‘Because I intend to do it again.’

  Then, before Carissa could properly absorb what Teal had just said, Teal closed the gap between them and kissed her for the second time in a day. And, just like the first time, it was totally unexpected and completely perfect.

  Chapter Twelve

  Teal broke the kiss, but this time she didn’t let go of Carissa immediately. Her hands cupped Carissa’s face and she looked straight into her eyes.

  ‘What was that?’ Carissa said, visibly trying to catch her breath.

  ‘The kiss we shared last night deserved a proper ending.’

  ‘So that’s what it was?’ Carissa said. ‘An ending?’

  ‘Only if you want it to be.’

  Carissa remained silent and Teal found it hard to read her tumultuous expression. She seemed to be flitting through emotions at light speed. Carissa closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. When she opened them again, they looked a little more focused.

  ‘I saw the drawing in your room,’ Carissa said dropping her gaze to the ground.

  Teal had not expected that. It took a moment to grasp what Carissa had said. Had seen. ‘You went through my stuff?’

  Carissa’s gaze slowly rose to meet Teal’s. ‘No, well yes. Not exactly.’

  Teal took a step back and crossed her arms. Standing there she felt naked, exposed for the world to see. ‘Which one is it?’

  ‘Okay, yes, I looked through your drawings but it wasn’t intentional. I just wandered over to your desk—’

  ‘Wandered?’

  ‘Yes, you know how you do when you walk around a room. It’s a habit.’ Carissa gnawed on her bottom lip. ‘I’m sorry I shouldn’t have looked.’

  It was clear Carissa was regretful. It was in her tone. In the way her shoulders slouched. The sight made Teal feel conflicted. Even though she thought it was disrespectful for Carissa to have gone through her personal belongings without permission, in a way Teal was glad. Because she knew in her heart that she would never have shown them to Carissa herself. ‘No, you shouldn’t have.’

  ‘But I was so curious and I just didn’t think. I opened the folder and saw my picture.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘And what?’ Carissa asked in confusion.

  ‘What did you think?’ Teal braced herself. It was always the same feeling whenever anyone was about to critique her work. Good or bad. But for some reason, what Carissa thought mattered more to her than anyone else’s opinion.

  Carissa’s eyebrows rose slightly. ‘About the drawing?’

  Teal nodded, still unable to speak. Had she hated it? Is that why she was skirting around the question?

  ‘I thought it was amazing.’ Carissa’s face broke out in a smile. ‘Though to be honest, you made me much more attractive than I really am.’

  ‘Hardly,’ Teal said, finally releasing the breath she’d been holding in. ‘I drew you exactly as you are.’

  ‘You’re insanely talented,’ Carissa said. ‘I know that drawing wasn’t really meant for me to see but thank you.’

  ‘I should be the one thanking you.’

  ‘Why’s that?’

  ‘Because you inspired me back into drawing,’ Teal said. She wasn’t trying to be flattering or unnecessarily complimentary. She was simply stating a fact. ‘I thought I’d lost my mojo before coming here.’ And meeting you.

  ‘Can you really lose an ability like that?’ Carissa asked.